Amid Desmond Claude transfer saga, USC's Eric Musselman lands top 6'2 French prospect

Former USC guard Desmond Claude entered the transfer portal in April and was ranked as the No. 24 prospect in the portal by On3. Claude has been linked with several programs, including the Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, Kentucky Wildcats and lastly, the Tennessee Volunteers.

USC coach Eric Musselman has moved quickly to replace Claude and on Thursday, the Trojans announced the commitment of former High Point Panthers guard Kezza Giffa. The 6-foot-2 guard was the No. 68 shooting guard and No. 242 overall prospect in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports. He visited the Iowa Hawkeyes and Seton Hall Pirates before committing to USC.

Giffa averaged 14.6 points on 44% shooting from the field and 31.3% shooting from beyond the arc, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the Panthers last season. The talented guard is a two-time All-Big South first-team selection due to his high-level scoring that will replace Desmond Claude's end product for the Trojans.

Giffa spent two years at High Point after starting his college basketball career with the UTEP Miners. The French native also played U21 basketball at Levallois Metropolitans before coming to the country.

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Desmond Claude linked with new teams

Desmond Claude had a stellar 2024-2025 season. He averaged 15.8 points on 48.2% shooting from the floor and 30.7% shooting from beyond the arc, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the USC Trojans. Claude has been highly sought after, and on Thursday, two new teams were added to the mix for his commitment.

"Field of 68" reporter Jeff Goodman revealed on X that the Oregon Ducks and the Tennessee Volunteers were in the running for Claude's commitment.

"Tennessee and Oregon both reached out to USC transfer Desmond Claude today, source told @thefieldof68 Claude also looking at Alabama and Gonzaga. SMU has also been in the mix," Goodman tweeted.

Claude was a four-star prospect in the class of 2022 and was the No. 8 point guard and No. 78 overall prospect in the country according to On3 before committing to the Xavier Musketeers, where he spent his first two seasons in college basketball. He entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2023-2024 season and joined coach Eric Musselman's USC, where he leveled up his end product.

According to an On3 report, with Labaron Philon returning to Alabama for an extra season after withdrawing from the 2025 NBA draft, the interest in Claude Desmond from coach Nate Oats' Crimson Tide has cooled considerably.